Edward Burtynsky
Born in Saint Catharines, Ontario, in 1955
Shipbreaking No. 24, Chittagong, Bangladesh
2000, print 2002
Chromogenic print, 3/5
101.6 x 127 cm
Purchase, the Museum Campaign 1988-1993 Fund, inv. 2003.103
Graphic Arts
After the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, Edward Burtynsky travelled to India and Bangladesh to document the dismantling of single-hulled ships that were decommissioned in order to prevent further catastrophes. Renowned for photographs of global industrial landscapes, Burtynsky states, “These images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence; they search for a dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear. We are drawn by desire – a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success. Our dependence on nature to provide the materials for our consumption and our concern for the health of our planet sets us into an uneasy contradiction. For me, these images function as reflecting pools of our times.”
This website uses cookies in order to optimize your browsing experience and for promotional purposes. To learn more, please see our policy on the protection of personal Iinformation